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Myth that Ballerinas Have Eating Disorders (Stems from reality (Balanchine…
Myth that Ballerinas Have Eating Disorders
Stems from reality
"Obsession with thinness" (Dance mag)
"Fat Chats" from directors to dancers (dance mag)
Balanchine advanced sylphlike ideal for ballet dancers in the 1960's
The directors that push this ideal most likely danced in the age of Balanchine
High standards of beauty, public body exposure, repeated exposure to mirrors
Self Criticism
"Many traits associated with good dancers, like perfectionism, excessive exercise, and never feeling good enough, are similar to the traits of someone with an eating disorder"
Normalizes behavior in ballet community
How can this issue be addressed?
Dance Magazine:
Some companies are creating programs for health (Royal Ballet
Professional dancers speaking out about importance of mental and physical health in dancers
Refinery 29:
Awareness and discussion of body image and nutrition
Leadership should be more accepting of different body types
Facilitate open conversation about eating disorders outside of ballet community
Improvements that have already been made
Ballet community is aware of dangers of dieting, still advises nutritionists to put dancers on diets
Stems from media
Black Swan movie - shows that the best dancer embodies these negative traits
Causes public to think this is the way all ballet dancers are expected to act
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT
Further promotes skinny ideal
young girls taught that to be successful in the dance world, they have to be thin